Improve Surface Water Quality Research Articles

Elucidating the sources and transformation of nitrate in the Xianyang-Xi'an segment of the Weihe River basin, Northwest China.

Urban rivers worldwide have been increasingly threatened by nitrate (NO3-) pollution. The Xianyang-Xi'an segment of the Weihe River, located in the loess plateau with serious soil erosion, has been highly urbanized and with intensive agricultural activities. Tracing the sources and transformations of NO3- is particularly challenging for this watershed which has multiple N sources and variable environmental factors. In this study, integrating antecedent studies with multiple stable isotopes and MixSIAR models, these river basins can be categorized into three classes: (1) urban areas, sewage, and manure were the predominant sources of NO3- in the Weihe River's mainstream, accounting for 73.4 ± 12.8%; (2) suburban areas, sewage and manure (Fenghe River, 58.0 ± 14.0%; Bahe River, 53.9 ± 15.0%) were recognized as the main sources of NO3-; (3) and the rural areas, ammonium nitrogen fertilizers were identified as the primary source of NO3- in the Heihe and Laohe Rivers. In addition, nitrification dominated the mainstream of the Weihe, Fenghe, and Bahe Rivers, while neither denitrification nor nitrification was evident in the Heihe and Laohe Rivers. In conclusion, this study is important for the improvement of surface water quality of rivers with different land use types and the development of targeted water environment management.

The impact of blue-green infrastructure on trace contaminants: A catchment-wide assessment

Blue-green infrastructure (BGI) reduce urban combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and stormwater outlets (SWOs). However, most conventional BGI are not designed to remove trace organic contaminants. Little is known about the potential of conventional BGI to improve surface water quality by reducing the discharge of trace organic contaminants. We derived wash-off loads for street runoff (6PPD-q, DPG, and HMMM), construction materials (diuron), and wastewater-derived contaminants (diclofenac) based on measurements in the combined sewer system. Subsequently, the performance of four BGI types (bioretention cells, green roofs, porous pavements, and urban wetlands) to reduce the discharge of trace organic contaminants via SWOs and CSOs was quantified with a hydrodynamic SWMM model. Moreover, the catchment-wide impact of SWOs and CSOs on surface water was assessed using risk quotients. We found that the annually discharged load can be considerably reduced by implementing BGI. Among the studied BGI types, bioretention cells are the most effective, with a load reduction of up to 80% to surface waters, mainly due to a larger suitable implementation area and a substantial stormwater infiltration. BGI implemented in the separate sewer system are more effective in reducing stormwater contaminant loads than BGI in the combined system. The assessment of the risk quotient in the surface water showed that the concentrations during SWO and CSO discharges exceed the acute environmental threshold in the surface water for 6PPD-q, DPG, diuron, and diclofenac during several events. The implementation of BGI reduced the hours of exceeded risk quotient in the surface water by 93% for bioretention cells. These findings underscore the need for a catchment-wide assessment of future BGI implementations to quantify, manage, and mitigate the impacts of urban pollution.

Toward better targeting of mitigation measures for reducing phosphorus losses from land to water: Andrew Sharpley's legacy in Norway and Sweden.

Nordic agriculture faces big challenges to reduce phosphorus (P) loss from land to water for improving surface water quality. While understanding the processes controlling P loss and seeking for P mitigation measures, Norwegian and Swedish researchers have substantially benefited from and been inspired by Dr. Andrew Sharpley's career-long, high-standard P research. Here, we demonstrate how Sharpley and his research have helped the Nordic researchers to understand the role of cover crops in cold environmental conditions, best manure P management practices, and ditch processes. His work on critical source area (CSA) identification and site assessment tool development have also greatly inspired our thinking on the targeting of mitigation measures and the contextualizing tools for Nordic climate, landscape, and soils. While reflecting on Sharpley's legacy, we identify several needs for Norwegian and Swedish P research and management. These include (1) tackling the challenges caused by local/regional unevenness in livestock density and related manure management and farm P surpluses, (2) identifying CSAs of P loss with high erosion risk and high P surplus, (3) obtaining more high-resolution mapping of soils with low P sorption capacity both in the topsoil and subsoil, (4) improving cross-scale understanding of processes and mitigation measures and proper follow-up of applied mitigation measures, and (5) increasing collaborations of researchers with farmers and farmers' advisory groups and watershed groups by developing high-quality educational courses and extension materials. The needs should be addressed in the context of the challenges and opportunities created by climate change.

Solute fluxes in headwater catchments with contrasting anthropogenic impact

Understanding the response of headwater catchments to increasing anthropogenic influences is one of the key issues in hydrological and geomorphological research. Two headwater catchments with contrasting human impacts on the environment were chosen to determine changes in surface water chemistry and solute fluxes. In one catchment, 22 % of the forest area was cleared in 2013 and in the other, 75 % of the arable lands was converted to grassland and forest in the last 25 years. Atmospheric input and solute mass balance were analysed using homogeneity Pettitt test. It seems that in both areas, a very important factor affecting solute fluxes was most likely changes, or lack thereof, in soil erosion. In the partially clear-cut catchment, a small clear-cut area and adequate protection of the soil cover had little effect on the stream water chemistry, and the total solute mass balance remained unchanged during the study period. In this catchment, the more pronounced effect on solute fluxes was using de-icing salts in winter, which contributed to a 62 % increase in total solute flux (mainly by supplying Na+ and Cl−, but also Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+). In a catchment with a decrease in arable lands, there was a 55 % decrease in total solute mass balance (including mass balance of Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, NH4+, SO4−, NO3−, Cl−) in the stream likely associated with a decrease in soil erosion and fertilization. In both catchments there was a decrease in total monthly atmospheric input (especially in input of NH4+, SO4− and NO3−) of 53 % and 21 %, respectively, over the study period. To summarize, the road salting has increased the amount of transported solutes in the stream and deteriorated surface water chemistry, while the reduction of arable land area has reduced the amount of transported solutes in the stream and improved surface water quality.

A novel framework for integrative assessment of water balance health in China

Existing studies on water resource issues focus on water scarcity while largely lacking an integrative water balance health assessment and ignoring the combined impacts of water quality, water transfer, and unconventional water resources on water balance. Here, we proposed a novel framework for assessing regional water balance health considering three dimensions of water problems about imbalances: water scarcity, water inequality, and systems incoordination. This paper first quantified the levels of water balance health at multiple geographic and temporal scales in China, and then investigated the critical components and the impacts of improved surface water quality, inter-basin water transfer, and unconventional water use on the local water balance health. Results showed that China was under an unhealthy water balance due to multiple imbalances based on the annual average assessments during 2014–2018. More than 45% of the national population (∼615 million people) was affected by an unhealthy water balance. Hotspots with unhealthy water balance exhibited spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability, with Northern China experiencing unhealthy water balance throughout the year, while Southern China usually faced this issue during the winter. Unhealthy water balance in Northern China was primarily driven by water scarcity, while in the west of the Hu-Huanyong Line, water inequality exacerbated the situation. Southeastern China faced systems incoordination, particularly vulnerable during extreme events, such as severe droughts. More than 400 and 150 million people benefited significantly from improved surface water quality and inter-basin water transfer, respectively, relieving unhealthy water balance. However, the effectiveness of unconventional water use was found to be limited. This study contributed to a better understanding of water balance health and facilitated the development of policies for integrated water resources management in China.

Exploring China's water scarcity incorporating surface water quality and multiple existing solutions

Water scarcity has threatened the sustainability of human life, ecosystem evolution, and socio-economic development. However, previous studies have often lacked a comprehensive consideration of the impact of water quality and existing solutions, such as inter-basin water transfer and unconventional water resources, on water scarcity. In this paper, an improved approach was proposed to quantify water scarcity levels by comprehensively considering surface water quality and multiple solutions. China's water scarcity was first assessed at a high spatial resolution on a monthly basis over the 5-year period from 2014 to 2018. Then, the driving factors including water quality and solutions were identified by a geographic detector model. Finally, an in-depth investigation was conducted to unravel the effects of water quantity solutions (i.e., inter-basin water transfer and unconventional water use), and water quality solutions (i.e., improving surface water quality) on alleviating water scarcity. Based on monthly assessments considering water quality and multiple existing solutions, the results showed that over half of the national population (∼777 million) faced water scarcity for at least one month of the year. Agricultural water use and inadequate water quality were the main driving factors responsible for China's water scarcity. Over four-fifths of the national population (∼1.10 billion) could benefit from alleviated water scarcity through a combination of water quantity and quality solutions. However, the existing solutions considered were insufficient to completely resolve water scarcity in China, especially in Northern China, persisting as a challenging issue. The results obtained from this study provided a better understanding of China's water scarcity, which could contribute to guiding future efforts aimed at alleviating water scarcity and ensuring water security in China.

Phytoremediation capacity of Umbrella palm and Vetiver in improving surface water quality by Floating Treatment Wetland

Surface water is polluted due to many reasons, mainly wastewater and irrigation discharges, and loses its value for potential uses. In this study, phytoremediation was applied to improve the surface water provided from a branch of the Gediz River, which meets the freshwater needs of Izmir Bird Paradise but is not qualified as a quality water source in terms of ecosystem. For this purpose, the removal efficiencies of Cyperus alternifolius L. (umbrella palm) and Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash (vetiver) for total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and total organic carbon (TOC) were tested in the tanks, which were set with the floating treatment wetland (FTW) with a control group. TP, TN and TOC were measured in water on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 14th days, while macro and micronutrients were measured in the plants at the beginning and end of the study. TP removal was 92%, 82%, and 45%; TN removal was 62%, 52%, and 24%; and TOC removal was 79%, 66%, and 13% in umbrella palm, vetiver and control tanks, respectively. The translocation factors (TF) that were expected to be >1 in plants were determined as Cd (1.55), Pb (1.27), B (1.19), and Cr (1.11) in vetiver, and B (1.33) and Pb (1.14) in umbrella palm. Considering the increase in biomass, it can be said that the umbrella palm accumulates metal at a higher rate. This study demonstrates that with the usage of umbrella palm and vetiver, FTW has the potential to be used as a green treatment method.

Oasis sustainability is related to water supply mode

Oasis development relies on water supply and the supply mode can be divided into artesian piloting water (APW) mode and high-lift pumping water (HPW) mode. APW mode relies on gravity to retain and intercept water. HPW mode uses cascade pumping irrigation projects to transport water by up to 470 m, mainly serving extremely arid areas. A comprehensive analysis of the water-energy-food-ecology (WEFE) nexus to optimize water use management is conducive to the sustainable development of an oasis. Due to differences in water supply difficulty and cost, there are significant differences in socioeconomic development, water management, and drought adaptation between the APW and HPW oases. Taking the APW and HPW regions of Ningxia in the Yellow River Basin as the study areas, this study constructed a Bayesian network (BN) to quantify the causality and uncertainty in the WEFE nexus to analyze the development status and the evolving characteristics of the human-water relationships of the two regions. Scenario simulation based on BN quantified the impact and difference of management measures on the WEFE nexus in the two regions. During 2000–2020, as the APW region developed, agricultural water use decreased by 36%, showing great water-saving potential, while the development of the HPW region experienced water shortages. Excessive and inefficient agricultural water use is the main factor affecting the sustainability in both regions. Improving irrigation coefficient is the most effective way to reduce agricultural water use, and there is still a large adjustment space in agricultural water prices, channel lining rates and drip irrigation popularization areas to improve this coefficient. The adjustment of the planting structure will have great water-saving potential in the APW region, such as reducing rice area to 20,000 ha will save 5 × 108 m3 of water, but the potential is limited in the HPW area dominated by drought-resistant crops. In addition, improving wastewater treatment and ecological water use will effectively improve surface water quality and the ecological environment in the APW and HPW regions.

Release of arsenic during riverbank filtration under anoxic conditions linked to grain size of riverbed sediments

Geogenic arsenic contamination of groundwater poses a health threat to millions of people worldwide, particularly in Asia. Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a pre-treatment technique that aims to improve surface water quality through natural processes during water infiltration before abstraction. A study in Hanoi, Vietnam is presented, where the water quality of 48 RBF wells from 5 large well fields located in the Pleistocene aquifer along the Red River was analyzed. >80 % of the wells had arsenic concentrations above the WHO limit of 10 μg/l. The riverbed sediment and riverbed pore-water from 23 sites along a stretch of 30 km of the Red River near the well fields was also analyzed. Muddy riverbeds were found to be a hotspot for arsenic release. Already at a 30 cm depth from the riverbed sediment surface, the pore-water at many sites had high concentrations of arsenic (>100 μg/l). Arsenic concentrations in the pore-water of sites where mud lenses were present in the riverbed were significantly higher compared to sites with sandy riverbeds. At well fields along stretches of the Red River where riverbed was mostly muddy, higher arsenic concentrations were found than at well fields where the riverbed was mostly sandy. This indicates that river muds deposition and river morphology can influence arsenic concentrations in the aquifer in Hanoi and potentially other RBF sites in regions with geogenic arsenic contamination. At the end, recommendations regarding site selection of new potential RBF wells in affected regions is given.

Reactivity of Fe-amended biochar for phosphorus removal and recycling from wastewater

Using biochar to remove phosphorus (P) from wastewater has the potential to improve surface water quality and recycle recovered P as a fertilizer. In this research, effects of iron modification on P sorption behavior and molecular characterization on two different biochars and an activated carbon were studied. A biochar produced from cow manure anaerobic digest fibers (AD) pyrolyzed under NH3 gas had the greatest phosphate sorption capacity (2300 mg/kg), followed by the activated carbon (AC) (1500 mg/kg), and then the biochar produced from coniferous forest biomass (BN) (300 mg/kg). Modifying the biochars and AC with 2% iron by mass increased sorption capacities of the BN biochar to 2000 mg/kg and the AC to 2300 mg/kg, but decreased sorption capacity of the AD biochar to 1700 mg/kg. Molecular analysis of the biochars using P K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy indicated that calcium phosphate minerals were the predominant species in the unmodified biochar. However, in the Fe-modified biochars, XANES data suggest that P was sorbed as P-Fe-biochar ternary complexes. Phosphorus sorbed on unmodified BN biochar was more available for release (greater than 35% of total P released) than the AD biochar (less than 1%). Iron modification of the BN biochar decreased P release to 3% of its total P content, but in the AD biochar, P release increased from 1% of total P in the unmodified biochar to 3% after Fe modification. Results provide fundamental information needed to advance the use of biochar in wastewater treatment processes and recover it for recycling as a slow-release soil fertilizer.

Spatiotemporal assessment and pollution-source identification and quantification of the surface water system in a coastal region of Vietnam

Surface water quality in coastal regions could be degraded due to various pollution sources, including seawater intrusion, dependent on seasons and distance from the coastline. The current study aimed to fractionate and quantify different pollution sources affecting surface water quality in a coastal region of Vietnam. Between 2016 and 2020, 400 surface water samples were collected from 40 sites during dry and rainy seasons and analysed for 15 parameters. The results showed that four primary pollution sources including seawater intrusion, agricultural production, residential activities, and humane activities on the hydrological system may contribute to the degradation of water quality. Seawater intrusion contributed approximately 83.3% to the determination of water quality in dry season and 35.3% in rainy season. Water quality in areas within 20km of the coastline was more degraded than in further areas. Management strategy should be developed and implemented to improve surface water quality for sustainable development.

Effectiveness of side-inlet vegetated filter strips at trapping pesticides from agricultural runoff

Agriculture can be a contributor of pollutants, including pesticides and excess sediment, to aquatic environments. However, side-inlet vegetated filter strips (VFSs), which are planted around the upstream side of culverts draining agricultural fields, may provide reductions in pesticide and sediment losses from agricultural fields, and have the additional benefit of removing less land from production than traditional VFS. In this study, reductions of runoff, the soluble pesticide acetochlor, and total suspended solids were estimated using a paired watershed field study and coupled PRZM/VFSMOD modeling for two treatment watersheds with source to buffer area ratios (SBAR) of 80:1 (SI-A) and 481:1 (SI-B). Based on the paired watershed ANCOVA analysis, runoff and acetochlor load reductions were significant following the implementation of a VFS at SIA but not SI-B, indicating the potential for side-inlet VFS to reduce runoff and acetochlor load from a watershed with an area ratio of 80:1 but not a higher ratio of 481:1. VFSMOD simulations were consistent with the results of the paired watershed monitoring study, where simulated reductions of runoff, acetochlor loads, and TSS loads were substantially lower for SI-B than SI-A. VFSMOD simulations of SI-B with the SBAR ratio observed at SI-A (80:1) also show that VFSMOD can be used to capture variability in effectiveness of VFS based on multiple factors including SBAR. While this study focused on the effectiveness of side-inlet VFSs at the field scale, broader adoption of properly sized side-inlet VFSs could improve surface water quality at the watershed or larger scales. Additionally, modeling at the watershed scale could aid in locating, sizing, and assessing the impacts of side-inlet VFSs at this larger scale.

Analysis of Seasonal Water Characteristics and Water Quality Responses to the Land Use/Land Cover Pattern: A Case Study in Tianjin, China

As the second largest city in northern China, Tianjin has a unique geographical and social status. Following its rapid economic development, Tianjin is experiencing high levels of surface water pollution. The land use/land cover (LULC) pattern has a considerable impact on hydrological cycling and pollutant transmission, and thus on regional water quality. A full understanding of the water quality response to the LULC pattern is critical for water resource management and improvement of the natural environment in Tianjin. In this study, surface water monitoring station data and LULC data from 2021 to 2022 were used to investigate the surface water quality in Tianjin. A cluster analysis was conducted to compare water quality among monitoring stations, a factor analysis was conducted to identify potential pollution sources, and an entropy weight calculation was used to analyze the impact of the land use pattern on water quality. The mean total nitrogen (TN) concentration exceeded the class Ⅴ water quality standard throughout the year, and the correlation coefficient of the relationship between dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH exceeded 0.5 throughout the year, with other water quality parameters showing seasonal changes. On the basis of their good water quality, the water quality monitoring stations near large water source areas were distinguished from those near areas with other LULC patterns via the cluster analysis. The factor analysis results indicated that the surface water in Tianjin suffered from nutrient and organic pollution, with high loadings of ammonia nitrogen (NH3N), TN, and total phosphorus (TP). Water pollution was more serious in areas near built-up land, especially in the central urban area. The entropy weight calculation results revealed that water, built-up land, and cultivated/built-up land had the greatest impact on NH3N, while cultivated land had the greatest impact on electrical conductivity (EC). This study discusses the seasonal changes of surface water and impact of land use/land cover pattern on water quality at a macro scale, and highlighted the need to improve surface water quality in Tianjin. The results provide guidance for the sustainable utilization and management of local water resources.

Assessment of Surface Water Quality Using the Water Quality Index (IWQ), Multivariate Statistical Analysis (MSA) and Geographic Information System (GIS) in Oued Laou Mediterranean Watershed, Morocco

Surface water is used for a variety of purposes, including agriculture, drinking water, and other services. Therefore, its quality is crucial for irrigation, human welfare, and health. Thus, the main objective is to improve surface water quality assessment and geochemical analysis to evaluate anthropogenic activities’ impact on surface water quality in the Oued Laou watershed, Northern Morocco. Thirteen surface water samples were characterized for 26 physicochemical and biological parameters. In this aspect, emerging techniques such as multivariate statistical approaches (MSA), water quality indices (WQI), irrigation water quality (IWQI), and Geographic Information System (GIS) were employed to identify the sources of surface water pollution, their suitability for consumption, and the distribution of surface water quality. The results showed that the major ion concentrations were reported in the following order: Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, and K+; and HCO3− > CO32− > Cl− > SO42− > NO3− > F− > PO43− > NO2−. It was also demonstrated that almost all parameters had concentrations lower than World Health Organization (WHO) limits, except for bicarbonate ions (HCO3−) and the biochemical oxygen demand for five days (BOD5), which exceeded the WHO limits at 120 mg/L and 3 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, the types of Ca2+-HCO3− (Calcium-Bicarbonate) and Ca2+-Mg2+-HCO3− (Calcium-Magnesium-Bicarbonate) predominated in surface water. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) indicates that the Oued Laou river was exposed to two forms of contamination, the first being attributed to anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, while the second reflects the water-sediment interaction. The Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), reflecting the mineralization in the study area, has classified the samples into four clusters. The Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) of the WQI indicates that 7.69% and 38.46% of the surface water represent, respectively, excellent and good quality for drinking. At the same time, the IWQI revealed that 92.30% of the water surface is good for irrigation. As a result, the combination of WQIs, PCA, IWQI, and GIS techniques is effective in providing clear information for assessing the suitability of surface water for drinking and its controlling factors and can also support decision-making in susceptible locations such as the Oued Laou river in northern Morocco.

Water‐level drawdowns can improve surface water quality and alleviate bottom hypoxia in shallow, eutrophic water bodies

Abstract Water‐level drawdowns are a management option for improving water quality in shallow, eutrophic lakes, but how much water levels should be reduced and what abiotic and biotic mechanisms can be expected to reduce the adverse effects of eutrophication are unclear. We conducted a study with two experimental pools (10 m wide, 30 m long, and approx. 2.5 m water depth) in a before‐after‐control‐impact design to examine whether water‐level drawdowns could influence surface water quality and bottom‐water conditions, as well as how physicochemical and biological variables contributed to improvements. In the experiment, we fertilised the pools to increase productivity and induce hypoxia, and then reduced water levels four times in increments of 0.5 m. Our experiment using high‐frequency sensors showed that water‐level drawdowns could decrease cyanobacterial blooms and alleviate hypoxia relatively quickly by changing physicochemical conditions. Water‐level reductions quickly increased bottom light illuminance, increased bottom‐water temperatures, and weakened stratification. The result was a dramatic increase in bottom‐water dissolved oxygen concentrations. Water‐level drawdowns also decreased the relative fluorescence of chlorophyll and phycocyanin, probably because of a decrease of internal nutrient loadings from sediment. Total nitrogen and NH4‐N concentrations in the water column decreased after water‐level reductions, and NH4‐N and PO4‐P concentrations in sediment pore waters were reduced in the water‐level treatment. Periphyton biomass did not change after the water‐level drawdowns. Water‐level manipulations increased the abundance of cyclopoids and calanoids but not large cladocerans. These biological processes responded slowly to water‐level drawdowns and are unlikely to have contributed to water quality improvement. Overall, the size of the water‐level reduction required to start changing water quality was 0.5–1.0 m. Our results suggested that a temporary reduction in water‐level of 20%–40% of the depth might help to suppress cyanobacterial blooms and hypoxia in shallow lakes, reservoirs, and agricultural ponds. Such water‐level management may help resolve conflicting demands for water and may be incorporated into management plans for flood control.

How anthropogenic factors influence the dissolved oxygen in surface water over three decades in eastern China?

The aquatic environment, linked to the sustainable development of human existence and ecological environment, is influenced comprehensively by anthropogenic and natural activities. In light of the continuously low concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in surface water in plain river networks and the phenomenon of delay in the improvement of surface water quality, this research aims to introduce a method that may be utilized in identifying the critical driving forces of DO in surface water and their lagging characteristics, which will contribute to the assessment and adjustment of water quality drivers and/or policies. The research analyzes a typical small watershed in a river network region of the Yangtze River Delta plain as the study area, collecting 35-year (1986–2020) data on several water quality parameters, decades of anthropogenic activities, and two natural factors. The time series methods of vector autoregressive model, Granger causality tests, forecast error variance decompositions, and impulse response functions (hereinafter referred to as VAR+), which are rarely applied in related research, were employed in this study and proved helpful for screening out pivotal drivers and capturing the lagging responses of DO level to driving forces at each lagged time. Results show that there exists a fluctuating drop in DO level in surface water from 1986 to 2008 and a steady climb from 2008 to 2020, with the lowest DO level being present in 2008. The impulsive perturbations of phosphate fertilizer consumption (PFC), motor vessel number, and precipitation minimally increase DO concentration, while the impulsive perturbation of gross domestic product (GDP) causes the sharpest drop in DO level. With these perturbations, the driving force of PFC persists for approximately seven years, and the driving forces of water temperature, permanent population, and GDP persist for only five years. Future research could be conducted with spatial hysteresis, selection of lag order and variable quantity within the model, as well as intermediate variables between drivers and DO level for exploring driving pathways and mechanisms.

Implementation Of Washing Program In Sustainable Water Management At Uin Raden Fatah Palembang

This paper aims to explain and describe the implementation of the concept of sustainable water management applied at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang, as part of the implementation of the green campus idea. UIN Raden Fatah's participation in the UI GreenMetric program has been started since 2019 and will be active in 2020. Water management is an important thing at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang because of the condition of the campus itself which is in a water reservoir and swamp area. The campus is divided into two locations, namely Campus A in the Jalan Jenderal Sudirman area and Campus B in the Jakabaring area, Palembang. Campus B is a new campus that will only start operating in 2021, therefore, water management arrangements are very important. The management of water resources is carried out with the Wash program which consists of revitalizing clean water infrastructure, metering clean water supply, water reuse program, improving surface water quality, as well as construction of drainage and canalization. In practice, higher education leaders issue policies that involve all the academic community, ranging from education staff, educators, to students. Keyword: water, green campus, sustainable, swamp

Improving surface water quality of the Yellow River Basin due to anthropogenic changes.

Understanding of how changes in diverse human activities and climate contribute to water quality dynamics is crucial for sustainable water environment management especially in the arid and semi-arid regions. This study conducted a comprehensive estimation of the surface water quality change in the Yellow River basin during 2003-2017 and its responses to varied pollution sources and water volumes under socioeconomic and environmental influences. Basin-wide measurements of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium nitrogen (NH+4-N) and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations were used in trend detection. Annual anthropogenic (covering six sectors) and natural (sediment-induced, flow-in from the upstream and stored last year) pollution sources and water components (inflow, natural runoff, water consumption, reservoir storage and evaporation) were compiled for each sub-basin. Bottom-up hierarchical analysis was then performed to differentiate individual contributions. Results showed significant decreasing trends in COD and NH+4-N concentrations and increasing trends in DO concentrations. The middle reaches that traverse the Loess Plateau however remained severely polluted with 11.3-39.0% inferior to level III in 2017. The pollutant load played major positive contributions that gradually increased from upper to lower reaches. Declines in urban, rural and industrial pollution discharges following environmental investments and rural depopulation contributed the most: 78-96% for COD and 55-100% for NH+4-N. The total surface water volume had dilution effects in the upper and middle reaches (3-28%) and condensing effects in the lower reaches (2-37%). Precipitation and vegetation dynamics contributed slightly. The primary unfavorable factors were the growing agricultural pollution discharges and water consumption in the upper and middle reaches that also threatened the lower reaches. This study is expected to provide in-depth insights for the systematic response of regional water quality to combined human interventions and references for water quality management in other arid and semi-arid river basins worldwide.

Mapping the impact of a large municipal waste disposal area on surface water: 1993–2017, case of Laogang, Shanghai

In China, the impact of waste disposal facilities is always a cause of concern for the government and the public. Laogang Municipal Waste Disposal Area (LMDA), Shanghai, one of the largest municipal waste disposal areas in the world was selected as case in this study, and it was attempted to analyze the changes in the surface water quality, and map the impacted area by LMDA on surrounding streams from its operation period of 1993–2017. The results showed that, during the whole period, only biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) showed a continuous improvement with a percentage of 85.92%, however, chemical oxygen demand (CODcr), ammonia (NH4+-N) and total phosphorus (TP) significantly improved but BOD5 slightly deteriorated began from 2013. Using spatial analysis tools and Kendall’s concordance test, CODcr and phenol at LMDA showed a significant impact on surrounding surface water; especially, the impacted area for CODcr decreased from 106.30 km2 to 22.86 km2 from 1993 to 2017, which dropped from 4.3 to 0.9 times the area of LMDA. Surprisingly, NH4+-N and TP at LMDA were affected by the surrounding streams, instead of having an impact on them. Interestingly, heavy metals and non-metals such as Hg, As, Zn, and Se in the surrounding streams were unlikely affected by LMDA. The driving forces for surface water quality improvement included the eco-remediation of closed unsanitary landfills, upgrade in waste shipping and terminals, operation of sanitary landfills and incineration plants for landfill diversion.Capsule: Impacted area of municipal waste disposal area is not so large.

Surface water quality in the upstream of the highly contaminated Santiago River (Mexico) during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Santiago River (Jalisco) is a major waterway in western Mexico and has received considerable attention due to its severe pollution. Understanding the impact of reduced human activity on water quality in the Santiago River during the COVID-19 lockdown (April–May 2020) is critical for river management and restoration. However, there has been no published study in this context, presenting a significant knowledge gap. Hence, this study focuses on determining if the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown influenced or improved surface water quality in a 262-km stretch of the Santiago River upstream. Data for 15 water quality parameters collected during the lockdown were compared to levels obtained in 2019 (pre-lockdown), 2021 (unlock), and the previous eleven years (2009–2019). The values of turbidity, BOD, COD, TSS, f. coli, t. coli, nitrate, sulfate, and Pb decreased by 4–36%, while pH, EC, total nitrogen, and As increased by 0.3–21% during the lockdown compared to the pre-lockdown period, indicating a reduction in organic load in the river due to the temporary closure of industrial and commercial activities. An eleven-year comparison estimated a 0–38% decline in pH, TSS, COD, total nitrogen, sulfates, nitrates, and Pb. The unlock-period comparison showed a significant rise of 3–37% in all parameters except As, highlighting the potential repercussions of restoring activity along the Santiago River. Estimated water quality indices demonstrated short-term improvements in river water quality during the lockdown when compared to other time periods investigated. According to factor analysis, the main pollution sources influencing river water quality were untreated household sewage, industrial wastewater, and agricultural effluents. Overall, our analysis showed that the COVID-19-imposed lockdown improved the water quality of the Santiago River, laying the groundwork for local officials to identify pollution sources and better support environmental policies and water quality improvement plans.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12665-022-10430-9.